


The Wanderer

by cynatnite



Category: Here Come the Brides
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-09
Updated: 2011-04-09
Packaged: 2017-10-17 19:14:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/180291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cynatnite/pseuds/cynatnite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This story first debuted in the zine 'Dreams to Last the Years' from the show 'Here Come The Brides'. It's a gen story which revolves around the Bolt Brothers. It focuses primarily on Joshua Bolt(played by David Soul)and the growing friendship with a drifter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Wanderer

The water lapped gently against the ship as it pulled to the dock. Captain Clancey smiled proudly as he surveyed his ship and the sailors. Pleased with a productive trip, Clancey felt his heart grow warm at seeing the familiar Seattle he had grown to love. Looking at his newest crewmember, the young man had asked to work in exchange for his passage, and while that was common, it was unusual for Clancey to take such an immediate liking to a new member of his crew. The captain couldn’t help but immediately like the young man. Clancey watched, amused as the newcomer’s wild curly hair kept trying to find its way out from underneath the black knit cap and his dark blue eyes grinned with mischief. Clancey knew with one look that this was a decent fellow, and a likable one.

Clancey strolled easily to his young crewman and smiled affectionately. “Luke, I’ll be shoving off day after tomorrow for Alaska. Could use an extra pair of hands. Extra pay in it for you.”

Luke gave Clancey a soft grin and shook his head. “My feet know those grounds, Captain. New soil always makes me feel like a new man.” Luke grabbed the dark duffel bag and slung it over his shoulder. “To hear you tell it, Seattle might be the place for me to call home.”

Clancey chuckled. “A wanderer like you plant roots?”

Luke gave Clancey a knowing smile. “Even if only for day, it’ll be home.”

Luke started off the ship and Clancey followed him to the gangplank. “You’ll be going where I said.”

“Sure will, Clancey. Jason Bolt?”

“That be him, lad. Jason likes men who’ll pull their weight.”

Luke squeezed Clancey’s shoulder affectionately. He stepped off the ship and he cheerfully answered the cordial greetings of the townspeople as he walked through the small community. He immediately noticed the lack of men and remembered it was still early. The men were probably up on the mountain Clancey had told him about. Luke nodded appreciatively to the attractive women making their way around the small town. Rather than charming the lovely ladies, Luke opted to go in search of Jason Bolt.

When Luke finally reached the logging camp, he was surprised to find it strangely quiet. He meandered through the area, looking for signs of life. He had just about given up when he heard footsteps. He turned to see a man stepping out of a tent on the far side of the camp and watched as the tall blond took a pot from the fire and poured hot coffee into a tin cup. Luke started walking towards the man, but stopped when the other man noticed him. The friendly blue eyes that focused on Luke made him feel at ease.

“Can I help you?” The man asked.

Luke approached him. “I’m looking for Jason Bolt.”

Joshua carefully studied the man taking note of the duffel bag slung over his shoulder. “He’s away from camp right now. I’m his brother, Joshua. What did you need him for?”

“I just got off the ship and Clancey said I could get some work here.”

“You ever log before?”

Luke hesitated and shook his head. “But I’m good with my hands and I’m not afraid of a hard day’s work.”

Joshua took a sip of his coffee and looked the man over. He looked sturdy enough. “The work is grueling and the hours long. Not just any man can do it.”

Luke gave him a crooked grin. “I like to think I’m not an ordinary man. Besides, if I can work on Clancey’s ship and survive, I think I can do some logging.”

“What’s your name?”

Luke held a hand out. “Luke Simon.”

“Joshua Bolt.” Joshua shook the hand firmly. “We can always use an extra pair of hands. Come on. I’ll show you the bunkhouse.”

Joshua started towards the bunkhouse and glanced at the man next to him. There was a bounce to his step and Joshua could see the eagerness in his eyes. He was curious about what a man like this was doing in a place like Seattle.

They arrived at the bunkhouse and Joshua held the door open. “Just pick an empty bunk.”

Luke strode inside and dropped his duffel bag on a vacant bunk. “Know where I can grab some chow?”

“The men should be back in an hour and the dinner bell sounds right afterwards.”

Joshua watched Luke open his duffel bag. He shoved his hands in his pockets and stepped forward. “You look like a seaman. What made you decide to try your hand at logging?”

Joshua smiled at the boyish grin and leaned casually against the wall.

Luke grinned. “Haven’t always had a deck under my feet. After the war, I worked on the railroad to Dodge City, then I cowboyed my way to California. I met Clancey in a bar and ended up here.”

“You came all the way here from back east?”

“It just worked out that way. Before the war, I did some work for the Pony Express.”

Joshua immediately came to attention. “Did you ever meet Buffalo Bill?”

“It’s a long story,” Luke chuckled.

“I’m sure you have a few of those.”

Luke shrugged his shoulders. “What do you do for fun around here?”

“We go to Lottie’s. It’s a small bar, but it’s known for its atmosphere.”

Luke smiled at the grin on Joshua’s face. “I saw it when I was coming through town.”

“After dinner, I’ll come by and introduce you to the owner. I think you’ll like her.”

“Sounds good, Josh. Look forward to it.”

Joshua nodded and turned to leave. As he headed back to the campsite, he smiled. He had a good feeling about Luke and he looked forward to getting to know the man better.

~*~

 

Jason walked into the cabin he shared with his brothers and his gaze immediately went to Joshua, who was bringing dinner to the table. He moved towards the washbasin past Jeremy, who eased into a chair.

“Corrigan’s advances have put him in the red, Jason,” Joshua explained. “He can’t have anymore until he works off what he owes.”

“I’ll talk to him.” After pulling his gloves off, Jason quickly washed his face and hands. “Joshua, I understand you hired a new man today.”

Joshua took the bowl from Jeremy and began filling his plate. “He arrived at the camp while everyone was away.”

Jason dried his hands and sat down at the table with his brothers. “I thought we agreed we would discuss hiring new men first.”

Joshua stabbed at the food with his fork avoiding the purposeful stare of his older brother. “We’ve been running shorthanded for weeks, Jason. With those new orders coming in, we’ll need all the help we can get in the next couple of months.”

“This isn’t about being shorthanded, Joshua. You have to discuss these things with Jeremy and me first.”

Upon hearing his name, Jeremy slightly lowered his head and concentrated on the food in front of him.

“You and Jeremy weren’t at the camp, Jason. Do I need to go to my brothers with every decision I make?”

“When it comes to the hiring…”

“Don’t you trust me, Jason?” Joshua asked.

Jason leaned forward. “Of course I do. I just rather you not hire someone we’ve never laid eyes on until we’ve all had a chance to discuss it.”

Rather than finish his dinner, Joshua stood and picked up his plate. He walked across the room and set it in the sink. “If I had any doubts about the kind of man he is, I wouldn’t have hired him, Jason. Will you trust me on this?”

Jason gave Joshua a relaxed smile. “Of course, brother.”

Joshua breathed a sigh of relief and reached for his coat.

“Where are you going?” Jeremy asked.

Joshua pulled his coat on and looked at Jeremy. “I’m taking Luke to Lottie’s.”

Jason reached for his glass. “We have to be at Stempel’s early tomorrow, Joshua. Don’t be late.”

Joshua gave Jason a quick nod and left. After the door closed behind him, Jason took a drink and stared across the room.

“Jason, are you still bothered by Josh hiring this new man?”

Jason sighed heavily. “It seems as of late, Joshua keeps taking more upon himself.”

“Joshua doesn’t want to feel like he has to go to his big brother with every decision.”

“After a while, a man does want to stand on his own two feet.”

“So what are you worried about?”

Jason gave Jeremy a thoughtful look. “That his good heart might be taken down the wrong path.”

 

~*~

 

Joshua arrived at Lottie’s and found Luke leaning against the bar with a beer in hand. He smiled seeing the comfortable stance of his new friend and the beaming smile on his face as he spoke with Lottie. Joshua strolled to the bar and was immediately handed a beer.

Lottie’s face was bright and cheerful. “Joshua, your friend here was regaling me with tales of New York City.”

Luke took a drink of his beer. “I’m trying to convince this beautiful lady to run away with me.”

Lottie’s cheeks were rosy with the flattery and she couldn’t help but chuckle. She turned to Joshua. “You better keep your friend on a leash, Josh. I might just take him up on it.”

Joshua laughed as Lottie walked away. He motioned to a table and both men sat down. “I don’t recall Lottie ever blushing since I’ve known her.”

“She’s a good lady.”

Joshua nodded. “New York City?”

“Yep, born and bred.”

“And you left to fight in the war?”

Luke played with his glass and glanced at Joshua. “In a roundabout way.”

“Seems like your whole life is a roundabout way,” Joshua chuckled.

“I guess it is. Never in one place long enough to set my feet down for good.”

“Do you have any family?”

“My Ma is still in New York. She got remarried to a shoemaker after Pop died. I’ve got a sister living in Boston.”

“You miss them,” Joshua observed.

Luke nodded. “Yeah, I do. But I wanted to see the world and they seemed to understand it.”

Rather than let melancholy set in, Joshua changed the subject. “How much of the world have you seen?”

Luke’s eyes danced with glee and he leaned forward. “When I was sixteen, I signed up on a ship as a cabin boy…”

The remainder of the night was spent with both men sharing stories and laughter. Joshua was taken by the fascinating life Luke led and by his warmth. He ached to know everything there was about the world, while Luke had already experienced much of it. Despite their different backgrounds, though, Joshua felt a kinship to Luke.

~*~

Over the next few weeks, Jason noticed Joshua’s haggard appearance. Many nights, he had awakened to Joshua’s footsteps in the early morning hours, and he knew why his brother was out so late. Jason had seen Joshua’s friendship with Luke grow. The two men were together more often than not.

One evening, Joshua brought Luke home to dinner. As he listened to Luke’s exploits, Jason saw the awe in Joshua’s eyes. The tales Luke told were exciting and adventurous. Everyone noticed Jason’s silence during the conversation, even though nothing was said about it. The evening turned awkward, and even with Jeremy’s attempt to keep the conversation going, relief came only when Joshua and Luke left for Lottie’s.

A few nights later, Jason sat at Lottie’s corner table, quietly nursing a beer. He finished it off and Lottie approached with another. She set it down in front of Jason and sat in the chair next to him.

Jason smiled briefly and took a drink.

“Where’s Joshua? I haven’t seen him or Luke all day.” Lottie asked.

Jason couldn’t help but bristle at hearing the name of Joshua’s friend. “Tacoma. We needed extra cash for the payroll.”

“Jason, since when do you not tell me what’s bothering you?”

“That noticeable?”

Lottie gave Jason a soft smile. “How long have we known each other, Jason?”

Jason nodded. “How well do you know this new friend of Joshua’s?”

Lottie tilted her head and gave a thoughtful look. “Hard to tell. He’s an unusual man.”

“What do you mean?”

“He’s a worldly man from what I can see, but at times, he’s very childlike. He’s proud of the things he’s seen and done, but it seems like he wants to see and do even more.”

Jason stared down into the glass thoughtfully, then looked at Lottie. “Joshua sure has taken to him.”

“Jason, you know how Joshua is. He’s always looking to the world beyond Seattle. It’s understandable he’d seek out someone like Luke.”

“Jeremy and I don’t see Joshua nearly as much as we used to.”

“You mean before Luke arrived.”

“When this friend of his leaves, and we know he will, Joshua may…”

“May leave with him?”

The question hung in the air and Jason suddenly realized why he was reacting so negatively to Luke. “It hadn’t crossed my mind,” Jason replied softly. “This friend of Joshua’s could undoubtedly offer something Seattle never could.”

“Jason, why haven’t you called Luke by his name?” Jason glanced at Lottie in surprise and sighed. Lottie’s smile was tender as she touched his hand. “You won’t lose Joshua, Jason. He loves you and Jeremy too much.”

“Joshua leaving Seattle was something I’ve always known was a real possibility. But I imagined him going to Tacoma or even San Francisco.”

“The world is a much bigger place when someone like Luke shows up with it in the palm of his hand.” Lottie stood up and planted her hands on her hips. “Jason, the last thing you need to worry about is Joshua leaving his family and friends for parts unknown.” Lottie turned and left.

Jason was starting to feel better about Joshua’s friendship with Luke. He still had some hesitation, but after talking to Lottie, he didn’t feel quite as worried as he did a few short minutes ago.

~*~

Several nights later, a large crowd of loggers and mill hands packed Lottie’s. Off in the corner a group of men were playing poker, and the game took a serious turn as Luke upped the pot. Joshua glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and tossed some chips in the middle of the table, matching it. Three others didn’t like the high stakes and folded.

Luke gazed across the table at Manning, one of Aaron Stempel’s men, who still held his cards. “Another twenty,” Luke said without blinking.

Joshua sighed as he laid his cards down knowing he couldn’t match the bet. He glanced at Manning, wondering what the man would do.

“I call,” Manning answered, throwing in the remainder of his chips.

Luke’s even gaze pierced into Manning’s and he slowly smiled as he lowered his cards. “Got a flush, pal.”

Manning slammed his cards down and furiously watched as Luke reached over the table and pulled the chips close to him. “You cheated!”

No one moved and all eyes were on Luke, who just grinned. “Do you know when you bluff; you get this little twitch below your left eye?”

Manning stood up with clenched fists. “Did you hear what I said? You cheated!”

Luke’s eyes turned hard as he stared evenly at Manning. “I heard ya’ and I didn’t. Don’t need to.”

Lottie quickly approached the men and held her arms out. “Now, boys, just settle down. Manning, I owe you a drink for helping me stack those crates last week. Why don’t you come up to the bar and get it?”

“Stay out of it, woman!” Manning growled furiously.

Luke pointed a finger at Manning. “Hey, don’t talk to her like that,” he said in a low voice. “I think you should apologize.”

Manning’s laugh was boisterous. “Hear that, boys? This drifter wants me to apologize.”

Nervous laughter spread across the room and Joshua stepped up. “He’s right, Manning. Lottie means a lot to people around here. Don’t show her any disrespect.”

“This is none of your business, Bolt. It’s between me and him. I’m tellin’ you, he’s a cheater and I’ll keep saying it.”

“You can say it all you want,” Luke countered. “It don’t change the fact you lost fair and square. Now, apologize to Lottie.”

Manning only chuckled and started to walk away. Luke grabbed him by the arm, and Manning swung, hitting him squarely in the jaw. Luke was thrown to the floor and Joshua immediately went after Manning.

Manning’s friends joined in and when Joshua was punched to the floor, the men working for the Bolt camp leapt into action. Clancey strolled through the melee and headed for the bar. He picked up a bottle of whiskey and found an overturned glass. He poured a glassful and when a body slammed into him, nearly spilling his drink, Clancey picked up the bottle and moved to the other side of the bar, where Lottie stood helplessly watching her bar get destroyed by the brawling men.

She yanked Clancey down to the floor before a bottle flew in their direction. “Land sakes, woman!” Clancey exclaimed loudly. “You don’t be spilling a man’s drink!”

“I’ve had about enough of this!” Lottie swore through clenched teeth. She yanked the bottle from Clancey. “Go get Aaron right now!”

Clancey sighed, downed the glass of liquor, and keeping his head down, managed to get to the door. A chair went flying and crashed into the double doors after it was closed behind him as the fight continued.

~*~

Joshua and Luke sat side-by-side on the cold jail floor. Joshua pulled his bandana out and handed it to Luke. “If Aaron was livid getting Manning out of here, I can only imagine what my brother will be like.”

“Thanks,” Luke said. He wiped the blood from his nose and looked at Joshua. “You’ll have that shiner for a couple of days.”

Joshua shrugged his shoulders. “I’ll live.”

Luke smiled warmly. “You sure did go after Manning when he hit me.”

“I didn’t even have to think about it, Luke. I saw him hit you and I reacted.” Joshua turned his head to look at Luke. “I’ve always believed in standing up for your friends.”

“You looked like this fierce lion. It was something else,” Luke remembered with a smile. “Nobody’s ever stood up for me like that.”

“You would’ve done the same thing for me. Besides, he had no right to speak to Lottie like that.”

“Yeah,” Luke agreed. He wiped his nose again and leaned his head against the wall. “You’ve known her a while?”

“Since I was a boy. She was almost like a mother to us after our parents died. If it wasn’t for her help when Jeremy and I were young, Jason never would have been able to hold onto Bridal Veil Mountain.”

“That mountain means a lot to you, don’t it?”

“I suppose. Sometimes I think it means more to Jason and Jeremy than to me.”

“So why do you stay?”

Joshua shrugged his shoulders. “My brothers. They need me.”

“It’s a part of you, Josh,” Luke plainly stated. He straightened and turned to face Joshua. “No matter what you do or where you go, you’ll always be bonded to this place and these people.”

“What makes you say that?”

“I’ve seen how you look. I know you want more than what you’ve got. You have dreams, but you don’t think you’ll ever do them because of where you’re at.”

Joshua glanced down at his hands and rubbed his thumb over the bruised knuckles. “I just figured I should forget about them. This is where I belong and anything else doesn’t matter.”

“It does matter. Just because you go after what you want out of life, don’t mean that who you love won’t be there when you need it.”

The door opened and both men immediately stood. Joshua was speechless when he saw the cross look on Jason’s face. Jason opened the cell door with the key, and both men stepped out. “Mr. Simon, step outside. I have a few things to discuss with my brother.”

“No,” Joshua said firmly.

Jason’s sharp eyes turned to his brother. “This is a family discussion, Joshua.”

“Whatever you have to say to me, you can say to him as well, Jason.”

Luke put his hand on Joshua’s arm. “It’s okay. I’ll wait outside.”

Joshua wanted to stop him, but Luke was out of the room before he had a chance to speak. He turned to his brother. Jason stood firmly and the anger was still in his face.

“Aaron and I’ve agreed to split the cost of the damages.”

“Manning was…”

“I know about Manning, Joshua. I also know he accused Luke Simon of cheating.”

“Luke won that money fair and square, Jason. Manning’s been having a run of bad luck at the tables lately.”

“And how would you know that? By the fact you’ve been at the tables almost every night?” Joshua was silent and Jason folded his arms. “I’m taking a portion of your pay to help pay for the damages. Mr. Simon will forfeit his winnings to cover his portion.”

“He didn’t start that fight, Jason!”

“The last thing I’m concerned with right now is who started that fight! Ever since he got here…!”

“Now wait a minute!”

Jason threw his hands up in the air in exasperation. He took a deep breath and faced Joshua. “We never had these problems before Luke Simon arrived, Joshua.”

“You just don’t like him.”

“I don’t like his influence on you!”

“You don’t like the fact that I have a friend outside of you and Jeremy!”

“Don’t be ridiculous!”

“I don’t think I am!” Joshua rounded on his brother and faced him squarely. “You always think you’re in the right, Jason. But this time you are wrong about him.”

Jason folded his arms not wanting to hear Joshua sing the man’s praises.

“Jason, you know how I feel about you and Jeremy!”

“What is that supposed to mean, Joshua?”

“Luke’s been the best friend I’ve ever had in my life. He’s one of the few people I can be myself with, Jason.” Seeing Jason’s rigid look, Joshua continued. “You’ve had Lottie to talk to when you couldn’t talk to anyone else. Jeremy has Candy. I’ve never had anyone I could honestly call my best friend.”

Jason’s posture relaxed when he saw the pleading look on Joshua’s face. “Joshua, I’m just worried about this friendship of yours. It’s coming between us.”

Joshua straightened. “Only because you don’t like him.”

Joshua stormed out and Jason went to the doorway. He leaned against the frame and observed his brother talking with Luke. Their closeness was obvious as Joshua touched Luke’s arm. Jason felt as if he was losing his brother to something he had no control over.

He watched Joshua heading for home, and then met Luke on the path that led to the logging camp. “I think it’s time we talk.”

Luke nodded. “Yeah, it’s been time for a while now.”

“I want to know when you’re leaving.”

“Are you firing me?”

“If I thought Joshua wouldn’t resent me for it, I would,” Jason told him plainly.

“You think I’m taking him away.”

“I think you’re a drifter who goes where the wind blows and my brother sees a grand adventure which will take him away from everything he knows.”

“Mr. Bolt, Josh will someday leave Seattle, but it’ll only happen when he doesn’t feel obligated to stay.”

“You think he stays because he has to and not because he wants to.”

Luke nodded slowly. “You’ve instilled in him what his responsibilities are since he was a kid and the last thing he’d ever want to do is to disappoint you. While he may be at odds with you at every turn, he would never abandon you or your brother when he feels he’s needed.”

“Joshua will leave Seattle when he…”

Luke’s eyes met Jason’s. “When you let him know he can leave. He won’t do it otherwise.”

Jason watched Luke leave, and while his first instinct had been to drive him out of Seattle and out of Joshua’s life, now he wasn’t sure if that was because of the kind of man Luke was or because he didn’t want to let Joshua go.

~*~

Luke leaned back against the wall outside of the saloon waiting for Joshua. The conversation with Jason still weighed heavily on Luke’s mind; he knew nothing had been settled. He ran his hand through the unruly curls and looked up to see Jeremy approaching. While he didn’t know Jeremy well, Luke instinctively liked the youngest Bolt.

“Luke,” Jeremy said. “Waiting for Joshua?”

Luke nodded. “I expect he should be along any minute.” He looked over at Jeremy and couldn‘t help but smile at the carefully tied bow at his neck. “I hear around camp a certain young lady is what they’d call ‘off the market’.”

Jeremy gave him a shy smile. “Well, hopefully soon. I’ll be meeting Candy.”

“I heard there was some church social tonight.”

“You and Josh coming?”

Luke shook his head. “We thought a couple of quiet drinks to wind down was the trick.”

“Good,” Jeremy muttered under his breath.

“What?” Luke was confused.

“I meant that it’s good you two take it easy tonight after what...” Jeremy’s face blushed as he stammered out his next statement. “I didn’t mean to imply that…”

Luke smiled and gave Jeremy a gentle pat on the shoulder. “Easy, Jeremy. I know I’m the cause of tension between your brothers.”

Jeremy visibly relaxed and faced Luke. “It’s just that since you came along, things have been tough between Jason and Joshua.”

“I’m sorry about that.”

“Luke, don’t misunderstand what I’m saying. I think it’s great that Josh has a friend away from the rest of us Bolts. He needs it. I’m glad you’re here for him.”

“Thanks, Jeremy.”

Luke straightened when he saw Joshua approaching them.

Joshua glanced at Jeremy. “Candy will be fit to be tied if you’re late, little brother.”

“Yeah, I’d better go.”

“Thanks, Jeremy,” Luke told him.

Joshua watched Jeremy hurry off and he turned back to Luke. “Sounds like the two of you had a talk.”

Luke shrugged his shoulders. “A short one.”

Joshua crossed his arms and leaned against the post. “What’s bugging you, Luke?”

“Quit doing that,” Luke said with a twinkle in his eyes. “Since when can you read me so well?”

“Because we’re friends.”

Luke took a deep breath and looked into Joshua’s eyes. “Josh, I don’t want to be the cause of any problems with your brothers.”

“Jason’s always been overprotective of Jeremy and me.”

“It’s more than that and you know it.”

Joshua gave Luke a soft smile, glad to know that his friend could read him as well. “Jason thinks that you’re going to lead me down the road of debauchery.”

Luke couldn’t help but smile. “I’ve done my share of debauching.” His look grew more serious. “I’ll move on and it’ll settle…”

“No,” Joshua said firmly. “Luke, you’ve been the best friend I’ve ever known. Only leave if you really want to, not because of my problems with Jason.”

Joshua smiled softly at Luke, glad to know that his friend could read him as well. “Jason thinks you’re going to lead me down the road of debauchery.”

Luke couldn’t help but grin. “I’ve done my share of debauching.” His look grew more serious. “I’ll move on and it’ll settle…”

“No.” Joshua stepped in close. “Luke, you’ve been the best friend I’ve ever known. Only leave if you really want to, not because of my problems with Jason.”

Luke squeezed Joshua’s arm. “Family’s important to you. It takes priority over everything else.”

Joshua put his arm around Luke’s shoulders. “Come on. I’m in the mood for a walk.”

 

~*~

The next afternoon, Joshua sat hunched over the books, getting the payroll ready for the men. It was time-consuming and he was relieved to be almost finished. He closed the book and locked the metal box containing the cash, then looked up to see Luke walk into the tent. “I just finished.”

“Good. I’m ready to charm a few brides,” Luke said with a sly smile.

Joshua picked up the metal box. “I’ll get you your pay.”

Luke held up his hand. “If it’s all the same, Josh, I’d rather wait and get it with the rest of the men.”

“Are you sure?”

Before Luke could reply, Corky walked into the tent. “Josh, Jason needs you on the south ridge.”

“What for?”

“All he said was that he needed to talk to you.”

Joshua set the metal box down and grabbed his coat. “Wait here, Lucky. This shouldn’t take long.” Joshua was almost out of the tent when he hesitated. He and his brothers had agreed never to leave the payroll unguarded. “Lucky, the payroll is locked up. Will you keep an eye on it?”

“Wouldn’t you rather take it with you?”

Joshua thought for a moment, then shook his head. “I trust you, Lucky. Just make sure it’s safe until we get back.”

 

~*~

 

Less than half an hour later, Joshua was back with his brothers and several of the men. When they arrived, Luke was busy putting out a small fire on the far side of the camp. “I’ll be there in a minute,” Joshua told Jason.

He quickly ran to Luke. “What happened?”

“A small fire. I’m guessing some small embers from the main fire.” Luke wiped his hands with a towel. “I’m sure it’s out.”

“Just to be safe, let’s douse it with more water.”

Joshua and Luke worked at making sure the tiny embers were completely out. Joshua turned to hear Jason calling his name. He walked inside the office tent where his brothers stood.

“Joshua, where is the lockbox?” Jason asked. “I thought you were handling the payroll?”

“I left it right on the…,” Joshua said motioning on the table. He froze at not seeing it where he left it.

“You left it here?” Jason asked in disbelief.

“Luke was here.”

Jason glanced over at Jeremy. “Go get him.”

Jeremy quickly left the tent and the thick silence hung between Jason and Joshua. When Jeremy returned with Luke, Jason walked over to him. “Was the lockbox here when Joshua left?”

Luke’s eyes immediately went to the table. “It was on the table where he left it.”

“And you stayed here the entire time.”

Luke licked his dry lips before answering. “I smelled smoke and there was a small fire on the other side of the camp. I went to put it out.”

“That’s what he was doing when we got here, Jason,” Joshua explained.

Jason slowly moved around the tent in deep thought. He turned to Jeremy. “Gather all the men. I want every one of them accounted for and then we are searching the camp.”

“What if we don’t find it?” Jeremy asked.

“One step at a time, brother,” Jason answered.

Luke and Jeremy stepped out of the tent and Jason stopped to stand in front of Joshua.

“Jason, Luke wouldn’t…,” Joshua began.

Jason put a firm hand on his brother’s shoulder. “I’m not jumping to conclusions, Joshua. I want to exhaust every possibility.”

Joshua nodded and followed Jason out of the tent. While the men stood off to the side, the Bolt brothers carefully searched every part of the camp. Nothing was left to chance as every possible place was explored.

When nothing turned up, Jason motioned to his brothers. “We’ll need to speak to all the men to account for their whereabouts. Make none of them had an opportunity to come here and take the money while Luke was putting out that fire. If any one of these men doesn’t have a witness to account for his whereabouts when the payroll was stolen, have him wait in the tent.” Joshua nodded and they started questioning each of the men. When nothing came of their attempts, they met in the middle of the camp again.

“Jason, it could be anywhere,” Jeremy exclaimed.

Jason sighed heavily. “There wasn’t much time from when the money was stolen to when we discovered it gone. The bunkhouse is within distance.”

Joshua was astounded. “You want to search the bunkhouse?”

“I don’t see where we have any choice, Joshua. We have to find that payroll. If we don’t, the men will look at each other with distrust. Accusations will be leveled and tempers will flare.”

The Bolt brothers gathered the men together and explained what they were doing. Uneasiness spread throughout the camp as the men looked at each other with suspicion. The three brothers followed the men into the bunkhouse to begin the search. A strange silence fell over the men as the Bolt brothers searched.

Joshua moved to the next bunk. He moved his eyes over to Luke. Joshua felt assurance from the comforting nod of his friend. He turned back to the task at hand. Joshua finished searching the man’s belongings and turned around. He saw Jeremy at Luke’s bunk and Jason several more down the row. As Joshua set a small wooden box down on the bed, he felt the mood suddenly change in the bunkhouse.

He looked up to see Jeremy holding the metal box that held the payroll. Joshua felt a small lump in his throat grow larger as he realized that the box had been pulled from Luke’s duffel bag.

Joshua saw Luke’s eyes grow wide at the box in Jeremy’s hand. “I don’t know how that got there!” Luke swore.

Jason slowly walked over to Jeremy and took the box from his brother. He looked over at Joshua, who was frozen in place.

Joshua quickly walked to Jason. “Jason, there’s got to be an explanation.”

Jason looked at the lockbox in his hands and gripped it tightly. He took a deep breath and looked at Luke. “Until this is sorted out, you’ll have to stay in the jail.”

Joshua stood dumbfounded as Luke was led out of the bunkhouse. When Jason started to move, he grabbed his arm. “Jason, he didn’t do it.”

“Joshua…”

“Listen to me! Luke isn’t a thief!”

“Joshua, I’m not saying he is, but every man here saw Jeremy pull the payroll from Luke’s bag. He’s much safer in jail.”

Joshua clenched his fists tightly. “You’ve been looking for a reason...!”

“Joshua,” Jeremy said taking a step forward. “It’s not like that at all.”

Joshua’s eyes locked with Jason’s. “Someone put the money in Luke’s bag, Jason.”

“Everyone has been accounted for except …,” Jason just couldn’t finish the statement. He slammed the metal box down on a bunk and swung around. Jason whirled to Joshua with blazing eyes. “You left the payroll, Joshua! The three of us agreed how it would be handled given how much cash is involved!”

“I’ll take the blame for it, Jason,” Joshua said calmly. “I shouldn’t have left it, but Luke didn’t take it. I’d stake my life on it.”

“For your sake, Joshua, I hope you’re right.” Jason grabbed the lockbox and solemnly left.

Joshua stood helplessly as Jason left. He didn’t even feel Jeremy’s comforting hand on his arm. When he was alone, Joshua sat on Luke’s bunk, reliving the shocking discovery.

~*~

Jason sat at the table quietly pushing the food around the plate with his fork. He finally set the fork down and pushed his plate away.

Jeremy glanced up at his brother. “Everything will work out, Jason.”

“Joshua thinks I’m out to railroad Luke.”

“No, he doesn’t. Luke is his friend and Josh is worried about him.”

Jason stood and walked over to the fireplace. He knelt down and stared into the roaring fire. “I’m worried, too, Jeremy. Joshua and I have been more at odds now than I’ve ever known us to be.”

Jeremy picked up his plate and set it in the sink. He walked over to Jason and stuck his hands in his pockets. “Jason, do you think Luke did it?”

Jason sighed heavily as he straightened. “I don’t know, Jeremy. I just don’t know. Joshua’s passionate defense of him gives makes me wonder if it’s possible the money was hidden there in order to hide the identity of the real thief.”

“But you don’t know.”

“No.” Jason turned to look at Jeremy. “It would make it easier if I weren’t already suspicious of Luke and his influence on Joshua.”

“Why would you feel that way, Jason?”

Jason crossed the room and sat down at the table. “Joshua sees what the world has to offer through Luke. Luke’s seen things and done things Joshua’s only dreamed about. I think Joshua might leave with him.”

“No, he wouldn’t, Jason.” Jeremy sat down across from Jason and leaned forward. “I’ve wondered if Josh would leave too, but I don’t think he would if it meant going so far as to never see us again.”

“I just wish my doubts about Luke’s innocence were because of what we found today and not because I’m afraid of losing Joshua.”

~*~

Joshua didn’t get to the jail to see Luke until that evening. His conversation with Jason had been brief, but it was painfully obvious his older brother wasn’t willing to take his word that Luke was innocent. He was grateful for Jeremy’s sympathy, but he knew his younger brother was careful to not be caught in the middle of this battle with Jason.

Joshua met Biddie at the doorway of the jailhouse as she was leaving. “Joshua,” Biddie said. “Mr. Simon was telling me about how thieves are punished in Persia. I can only say I’m relieved we don’t have such dreadful laws. Mr. Simon has beautiful hands.”

Joshua smiled and it grew wider when he saw the slight blush cross Biddie’s cheeks.

“Good evening, gentlemen.”

“It’s been a pleasure,” Luke said giving her a wink.

Biddie giggled as she left them.

“She’s something else,” Luke said with a shake of his head. “Brought me a great dinner with all the fixings. Much better than that stuff that’s called food at the camp.”

“Luke,” Joshua said seriously.

Luke leaned against the bars and sighed. “It’s not so bad, Josh. It’s a warm bed and I can’t complain one bit about the visitors I get. Lottie even stopped by.”

Joshua rested his hand on the bars and looked seriously at Luke. “We need to talk about this.”

“Yeah, I suppose we do.”

“Tell me everything that happened after I left the camp.”

“You aren’t going to ask me?”

“Ask you what?”

“Ask me if I did it,” Luke stated.

“Why? You didn’t do it, so there’s no need to ask.”

Luke sat down on the small bunk and looked at Joshua through the bars. “After you left, I got a cup of coffee. Didn’t really do much of anything else.”

“Did you see anyone?”

Luke shook his head. “No one. When I smelled the smoke, I went outside and saw the fire.”

“Lucky, I think that fire was a distraction. Someone saw you go into the tent and stay after I left. They needed you away from the tent so they could steal the money.”

Luke leaned back on his elbows and looked at Joshua through the bars. “And plant it in my duffel bag?”

“It makes sense. They knew most people would think the worst since you are the newest man.”

“And a drifter with no ties,” Luke finished.

Joshua was silent for a moment and he rested his shoulder against the bars. “Aaron said the circuit judge will be here in a couple days. I’ll talk to him and get him to see the truth.”

“Josh, no judge will believe me or you unless we’ve got proof. The only proof there is was pulled out of my duffel bag by your brother.”

“I’ve got until Judge Cody gets here.”

Luke stood up. “How are you going to find it?”

“I don’t know, but I will,” Joshua answered confidently.

Joshua started for the door and stopped when Luke called his name. “Thanks for believing in me,” Luke said.

Joshua gave Luke a hopeful smile and left.

 

~*~

 

The judge arrived a few days later. When Joshua arrived, the room was filled to capacity. Jason stood on the right, speaking with Aaron and Lottie. Jeremy sat in the middle of the room next to Candy nervously shifting in his seat. Joshua wound his way through the thick crowd to Luke who sat patiently at a small table. Joshua glanced to the front where the bar was set up as a judge’s bench and pulled a chair over. “How are you holding up?”

“What a crowd,” Luke commented nervously. “Here for the best show in town.”

“Only show in town,” Joshua quipped. “I’ve been speaking to the men.”

“Anything?”

Joshua shook his head. “But, I’m not finished. I still have…”

At the arrival of Judge Cody, people immediately stood. The judge pounded his gavel. “Order in the court. Sit down.” After everyone sat, he picked up the paper before him and scanned it. “I’ve read the list of charges against Mr. Luke Simon in regards to $1300 which he allegedly stole.”

Joshua immediately stood. “Your Honor, I have something to say.”

“Do you have something to add to the charges, Mr. Bolt?”

Joshua approached the judge. “Your honor, Mr. Simon is innocent.”

“All men are innocent until proven guilty, Mr. Bolt.”

“Yes, Your Honor. I believe the money was planted in Mr. Simon’s duffel bag. The fire was set as a distraction so the real thief could steal the money. With the rest of us returning, he had to quickly hide it and the bunkhouse was close by.”

The judge turned to Luke. “Mr. Simon.”

Luke immediately rose and faced the judge. “Yes, sir.”

“Is it your intention to enter a not guilty plea?”

“Yes, Judge…I mean, Your Honor.”

“I won’t be returning to the area for several weeks and rather than to have you sitting in jail for so long, I’ll stay for the next few days while we conduct a hearing.”

“Your Honor,” Jason said. “Seattle doesn’t have any lawyers.”

“Mr. Stempel, you will act as prosecutor.”

Aaron stood and pulled at his vest. “Yes, Your Honor.”

“As Mr. Joshua Bolt steadfastly believes in the innocence of Mr. Simon, he will act as defense.” Seeing Joshua’s mouth open in protest, the judge raised his hand. “Mr. Bolt, I have no doubt you will defend your friend vigorously. This court understands you are not an attorney and leeway will be granted as well as guidance. Now, starting tomorrow morning we will begin to hear evidence to determine if enough exists to warrant a trial.”

At the bang of the gravel, the people in the room started dispersing and talking among themselves.

“Joshua’s belief in Mr. Simon’s innocence is admirable,” Candy stated. She noticed Jeremy’s awkward stance and she touched his hand. “Jeremy, what is it?”

“I wonder if Lottie would give me a room.”

“What on earth for?”

“Staying here would be safer than living with my brothers right now.”

Candy took Jeremy’s hand in hers and smiled softly. She pulled him toward the door, following the rest of the townspeople outside.

 

~*~

Jason and Aaron sat across from Clancey and watched as he finished off his drink and poured another one. They stole glances at each other as Clancey downed that one as well.

“That Luke’s a good boy, let me tell ya’,” Clancey explained as he poured another glass. “He worked hard and always had a tale or two for me and the lads. Though he had some wild days.”

“Many of us had, Clancey.” Jason’s eye caught some of the men settling in for a game of cards, then turned his attention back to Clancey.

“His wild days?” Aaron asked.

Clancey nodded as he took a drink. “Luke’s poppa passed on when he was but a wee lad and what’s a boy to do without the guidance of a good father?”

“What did he do?” Aaron asked.

“Mixed it up with some ruffians, if you ask me. No-accounts with no better morals than to get a young boy in trouble with the law.”

Aaron leaned forward and poured Clancey another drink. “Tell us more, Clancey.”

Clancey smiled affectionately at the glass and took it in his hand.

 

~*~

Joshua sat at the table next to Luke as Jeremy testified to finding the money in Luke’s duffel bag. Joshua knew Jeremy was simply stating the facts. He glanced up at hearing the door open and looked over at Ben who was walking in with a piece of paper in his hand. Joshua carefully watched as he whispered something to Aaron and handed the paper off.

“Do you have anything to add?” the Judge asked Jeremy.

“No, sir.”

“Mr. Bolt,” the judge said. “Do you have any questions for your brother?”

Joshua kept his seat. “No, I don’t.”

“You may step down.”

As Jeremy walked back to his seat, Aaron stood with the paper in hand. Aaron glanced over at Joshua and Luke before turning back to the judge with the paper in hand. “Your Honor, I have some information I’d like this court to consider.”

“Approach the bench,” the judge ordered.

Aaron went to him and handed the paper to the judge. After a moment, the judge nodded and handed the yellow paper back.

“I have here a statement from the warden of Sing Sing, a prison in New York. It says, and I quote, ‘Luke Matthias Simon served a two-year prison sentence for breaking and entering. He was found in the residence of a local politician with a variety of valuables.’” Aaron lowered the paper and looked squarely at Luke, who had dropped his eyes.

 

~*~

Back at the jail, Joshua slammed his fist on the desk and whirled to face Luke. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t think it mattered,” Luke said in a low voice from the bunk in his cell.

“Well, now you know!”

Luke stood up and grasped the bars as he watched Joshua run his hand through his hair. “Josh, I was a kid when it happened. When they found us, the rest of the kids took off leaving me holding the bag…literally.”

“Did you tell them you weren’t alone?”

Luke gave Joshua a nervous grin. “You don’t tell and live.”

Joshua slumped down in a nearby chair and looked down at his hands. “I’m not helping you any, Luke. You need a real lawyer. Aaron has a better understanding of this than I ever will.”

“Joshua, I don’t believe that for one second. I should’ve told you and I’m sorry I didn’t. But I wouldn’t trust anyone but you to help me.”

Joshua raised his eyes to Luke’s. He saw the confidence in them and felt bolstered by it. “I should be the one telling you not to give up.” Luke’s eyes lit up the room and Joshua stood up. “I won’t give up, Lucky.”

Joshua headed out the door and was met by Jason. “Are you going to see him?”

“I wanted to talk to you, Joshua.”

“What about?”

Seeing the hard look in his brother’s eyes, Jason took a deep breath. “Joshua, I’m sorry about what happened today.”

“Are you, Jason?”

“I know it must’ve hurt finding out what Luke did.”

“It doesn’t change…”

Jason took a step closer to his brother and looked into his eyes. “Joshua, don’t you think your loyalty might be misplaced?”

Joshua’s eyes widened in surprise at what Jason said. “You think he’s guilty?” At Jason’s silence, Joshua took a step back. “After what you’ve always said about a man being innocent until proven guilty.”

“Joshua, I was more than prepared to acknowledge it was a real possibility that I was wrong about Luke Simon. Given his history…”

“He’s innocent, Jason!”

“You’re defending a guilty man, Joshua! Can’t you see that?”

“I don’t see that at all, Jason! Luke was framed!”

Jason put his hand on Joshua’s arm. “Joshua, you are blinded by a sense of misplaced loyalty towards a man who answers to no one but himself.”

“You came here to get me to give up, Jason. I won’t do it.”

“You’ve got too much pride for your own good, Joshua.”

Joshua was astounded at the remark. “Pride! You think the only reason I’m helping Luke is because of pride! Luke is innocent and I’ll find a way to make you see that.”

“It’s not me you have to prove it to.”

“Oh, yes it is! My entire life has been about proving everything to you and you know it. You expected it from me. You want me to keep proving myself to you just so you can be right!”

“That’s enough, Joshua!”

“No, it’s not, Jason! You expect me to admit to making a mistake in putting my trust in Luke!”

“It wouldn’t be the first time!”

“If it’s a mistake, it’s mine to make! But I’m not wrong about Luke and I won’t give up on him!”

“At what cost, Joshua? This is hurting our relationship.”

Joshua froze and stared in shock at Jason. “You want me to choose between you and Luke.”

“I’m your brother, Joshua. Surely that means something.”

Joshua swallowed the hard lump in his throat. “It used to.”

Jason was helpless as Joshua stalked away deep in his own thoughts.

Luke witnessed the entire scene from his cell window. He turned and sank down on the bunk. He never wanted this. They were brothers and he blamed himself for their divide. Luke leaned back on the pillow and sighed.

 

~*~

Joshua stared down into the glass mulling over the argument with Jason. He was at a standstill. Not knowing what to do about his brother or Luke made his heart heavy. Joshua took a drink of the beer.

He looked up when Aaron slid into the chair across from him. “You’re not welcome to join me, Aaron.”

“Joshua,” Aaron chided. “I believe in the truth and it needed to be done. You know that.”

“At my brother’s request?”

“I do have a friend…”

“I don’t want to know, Aaron. Your well-connected friends aren’t something I’m interested in.”

“Any progress on proving your friend’s innocence?” At the dark look Joshua gave him, Aaron shifted in his seat uncomfortably. “When I first started running my own business, I learned a few things along the way.”

“Jason is the one you should be giving business advice to.”

Aaron ignored the comment and continued. “I learned that it’s not only what your competition tells you. It’s also what they don’t tell you.”

Joshua set his glass down on the table and looked at Aaron. “You know something.”

Aaron remained silent and Joshua thought about his words. I haven’t been asking the right questions, he realized. He shot out of the chair and ran as fast as he could to the bunkhouse.

~*~

In the darkened cell, Luke stared up at the ceiling as he lay on his bunk. He could still hear the harsh words passing between the two older Bolt brothers, and he became even more determined to follow through with his intentions.

The turn of the doorknob brought him back to the here and now. Luke sat up and glanced over at the man that was sitting the chair guarding him. The sleeping man didn’t awaken at the opening door.

Luke suddenly stood when two men entered and watched as one knocked the guard to an unconscious heap on the floor. He clenched his fists as the burly older man approached his cell with a gun in hand.

“Should’ve known it was you, Corrigan,” Luke said evenly.

“Get those keys,” Corrigan demanded of his accomplice.

Luke recognized the other man as a friend of Albert Corrigan’s. The man unlocked the cell and yanked Luke out by his shirt. Luke gave the man a hard shove, and Corrigan reacted by giving him a hard punch in the face. Luke fell to his knees and spit out blood.

“Stand up,” Corrigan ordered. “You’re coming with us.”

“Why? What do you need me for?”

Corrigan’s accomplice pulled Luke to his feet and tied his hands behind his back. No one spoke as the men left the jail.

~*~

Candy and Biddie were crossing the dark street towards the dorm when they saw the activity coming from the jail. Candy stopped to watch. “Biddie, look!” she whispered loudly.

“What do you suppose Mr. Simon is doing out of jail with those men?” Biddie asked.

The women observed the men getting on horseback and heading out of town. “Come on, Biddie. We have to tell Jason.”

They crossed the street quickly and went into Lottie’s. Jason stood at the bar talking with Jeremy, Clancey, and Aaron.

“Jason,” Candy said excitedly. “We were crossing the street.”

“What is it, Candy?” Jeremy asked.

“Mr. Simon is not in jail,” Biddie stated matter-of-factly.

“We saw him leaving on horseback with two other men.”

“Who?” Jason asked as he pulled out his gloves.

“It was too dark,” Candy answered.

“I left one of my men to guard Luke Simon,” Aaron told them.

“You girls stay here,” Jeremy said. He gave Candy a quick kiss on the cheek before following Jason, Clancey and Aaron out of the saloon.

 

~*~

When Joshua arrived at the bunkhouse, he found Corky and pulled him off to one side. “Corky, when we searched the bunkhouse, I found a deck of cards. How much card-playing goes on here after work?”

Corky shrugged his shoulders. “About normal, I expect.”

“Any high stakes?”

“Yeah, once a week.”

“Is it always the same men?”

“Pretty much. Once in a while there’s a change, but it’s usually always the same group. Why, Joshua?”

Joshua thought for a moment and then it hit him. “Are any of them losing money regularly?”

“Yeah, Mitchell, Corrigan, and Lewis. They usually wind up losing more than they win. But Mitchell isn’t playing cards as much as he used to.”

“Corrigan’s been asking for large advances on his pay on a regular basis in the last couple of months,” Joshua said pensively.

“He’d need it.”

“Why?”

“He owes half the men money. Some have been talking about taking it out of his hide if he didn’t start paying up soon.”

“Corky, when the payroll came up missing, where was Corrigan?”

Corky looked up thoughtfully. “I heard he and Lewis were checking out some trees up on the ridge.”

“You didn’t see him?”

Corky shook his head. “I don’t think anybody saw them until we all got together at the bunkhouse.” Joshua started to turn away and Corky grabbed his arm. “Josh, you know this doesn’t mean…”

“I know, Corky. I also know Lewis. He’d tell the truth if he thought it’d keep him out of jail. Where is he?”

“He left an hour ago with Corrigan.”

Corky watched Joshua run down the path leading back to town.

 

~*~

Clancey helped the Tom to his feet and handed him a handkerchief to wipe the blood from his face. “I don’t know how he got out of his cell, Mr. Stempel. He must’ve had help.”

Jason crossed his arms and sighed. “He had other opportunities to escape. Why now?”

“Desperate men,” Aaron mumbled.

“Jason,” Jeremy said.

The men turned to where Jeremy was. They watched him kneel down next to the door of the cell. They gathered to see what Jeremy was looking at.

“There’s blood over here,” Jeremy observed. “Tom was near the desk when we found him.”

“There was a struggle,” Jason said.

“It doesn’t make sense,” Aaron stated.

Jason stared down at the small amount of blood on the floor and walked to the open door. He turned back to the group. “It does if someone wanted to use Luke to take the blame for the crime so they could make their escape.”

“They would have already gotten away,” Jeremy pointed out.

Lottie rushed inside the jail and went to Aaron. “Your office was broken into, Aaron. One of your men said all the cash was stolen.”

Aaron swung around to Jason. “Simon and his accomplices could have stolen it, Jason.”

Jason sighed and shook his head. “There was a struggle here. Luke fought them and he was overpowered. We have to find them.” Jason grabbed a rifle and loaded it. “Clancey, get some men together. We’ll start after them. They can check the other trails leading out of town.”

 

~*~

Luke pulled at ropes that bit into his wrists. He looked ahead at Corrigan and Lewis, riding ahead and pulling the horse he was on. “You gonna tell me why you took me out of that jail?”

Corrigan stopped the horses, and when he slipped out of the saddle, he walked to the ledge and looked down at the long drop into the raging river below. He smiled and turned to look at Luke. “You did such a great job at taking the blame the first time; I figured a second time would give us more than what we need to get away.”

Luke was pulled off the horse by Lewis. “I would’ve been found guilty and you know it, Corrigan.”

“We lost the payroll when everyone came back early. I’m not going to break my back for pennies when I can just take it all,” Corrigan explained. “If I stayed another week, one of the men would have come after me for the money I owed them. Besides, those stupid Bolts are too busy fighting amongst themselves to care whether or not you’re guilty.”

“So you kill me and make it look like I escaped.” Luke said.

Corrigan’s laughter gave Luke the chills. “Stempel don’t know it yet, but he contributed to our fund. You’ll be blamed for it and they’ll find your body in the river. Wouldn’t surprise them any knowing that you’re a stranger to these parts. Lewis and me will head to San Francisco where we’ll live it up.”

Lewis’ nervous eyes looked from Luke to Corrigan. “Al, why don’t we just let him go? They won’t believe him if they catch him anyways.”

“Shut up, Lewis! He’ll be found with a few of Stempel’s notes. Don’t want anyone having cause to think otherwise. Corrigan motioned for Lewis to bring Luke to the ledge.

Luke pulled against the strong hands and Corrigan walked over to help. They brought him close to the ledge. Corrigan cut the ropes on Luke’s wrists. “Can’t be tied when they find your body.”

“Corrigan, don’t do it!”

The three men turned to see Joshua sitting on a horse not far from them with a rifle aimed in their direction. Corrigan pulled the revolver from his belt and held it at Luke’s head. “Shoot us and he’s dead, Bolt!”

Corrigan saw Joshua’s hesitation and the deep chuckle escaped him. “Put the gun down or I kill him!”

Luke could saw Joshua start to lower his rifle. Instinctively, he shoved back against Corrigan as hard as he could. Both men tumbled back. The revolver went off and a bullet slammed into Joshua, knocking him off the horse. Lewis dopped to the ground, covering his head in fear.

Luke quickly got to his feet and gave Corrigan a hard kick in the stomach. He turned his head and saw Joshua lying on the ground with the front of his shirt turning bright red. Luke stumbled over to Joshua and started to reach for him, then froze when he heard the click behind him. He slowly turned and saw Corrigan on his feet with the gun aimed at Joshua. Luke maneuvered his body in front of Joshua’s. “You’ll have to kill me first,” Luke swore.  
Corrigan laughed as he raised the gun to pull the trigger. Luke closed his eyes and a shot rang out. When he opened them, Corrigan slumped to the ground. Luke’s gaze went to the men on horseback not far from them.

Jason lowered the rifle and urged the horse on to get to his brother. Jeremy followed close behind.

Luke pulled Joshua close to him. Luke pulled his shirt off to staunch the bloodflow. “Joshua,” Luke whispered. “Come on, wake up. You’ve got an audience.”

Joshua’s moans brought relief to Luke’s ears. “Hurts,” he mumbled.

Luke looked up at Jason who jumped from his horse. “Looks like it’s just a flesh wound. The tumble from the horse rattled his brains.”

“Least it didn’t break open that hard head of his,” Jason replied.

Luke reluctantly stepped away letting Jason and Jeremy help their brother. “I’ll go back to the jail and face the judge in the morning.”

“No need for that,” Jeremy said helping Joshua to his feet with Jason’s help. “We know you didn’t do it, Luke.”

“Let’s get Joshua home,” Jason said. “We’ll talk there.”

 

~*~

It was several hours before Joshua was able to sit up in bed. He looked down at his left arm, which was in a sling. He tried moving it but grimaced as the pain shot through his shoulder.

“Easy,” Luke told him. “You can’t be moving around or Lottie will have your head.”

Joshua gave Luke a painful smile. “Are you okay?”

Luke ruffled Joshua’s hair and sat down on the bed next to him. “Listen to you. Worried about me and you’re the one that got shot.”

“How does your head feel?” Joshua asked pointing at the bruise on Luke’s cheek.

“Just a tap.”

“You are a lousy liar,” Joshua told Luke.

Luke looked down at his hands and then at Joshua. “How did you find me?”

“I noticed a couple of horses missing and I ran into one of Aaron’s and they told me about the break-in at the mill. It wasn’t hard to figure out what they were planning.”

“Thanks for believing in me, Josh. It means a lot.”

Joshua’s grateful smile made his head hurt a little more, but he didn’t care. “You believed in me, too. I wasn’t sure if I did.”

“Don’t sell yourself short. You have the makings of being great at whatever you want.”

Luke stood up when Jason and Jeremy came into the room. He moved his gaze back to Joshua and gave him a reassuring nod.

After Luke was gone, Jason sat down on the bed next to his brother. “Joshua, I should’ve trusted you and I didn’t.”

“Jason…”

“Let me finish. You were right and I didn’t want to hear you.”

Joshua fingered the sling and brought his eyes up to Jason’s. “We’re awfully bad about that, aren’t we?”

Jason smiled warmly. “I see everything as black or white and you have an uncanny ability to see beyond all of it with clarity. I should listen to you more.”

“Plenty of talking and not enough listening.” Joshua’s gaze went to Jeremy who leaned against the wall. He turned to Jason. “What I said earlier outside the jail, I didn’t mean…”

“Joshua, you were right. I shouldn’t have put you in that position.”

“I pushed as hard as you did, Jason.”

“Only because…”

Jeremy pushed off from the wall and put his hands on his hips. “Will you two stop it? Jeremy left the room mumbling about his stubborn brothers.

Joshua and Jason laughed, relieved that they’d put their difference behind them. “Thank you, Jason.”

“Whatever you decide to do with your life, I’ll support you.” Jason put his hand on Joshua’s shoulder careful not to squeeze, but to let him know that they would always be brothers no matter what.

~*~

Joshua watched Luke pack his duffel bag. The rest of the loggers had gone to work already and they had the bunkhouse to themselves. “You don’t have to leave.”

“Too much has happened, Josh,” Luke replied. He tied off the duffel bag and set it on the floor. “Anything happens and people will look to me. They’ll wonder because I was in prison before.”

“But after what you did for me, Lucky…”

“Josh, even the most well-meaning of people will think the worst.”

“You can always come back.”

Luke nodded. “After a while. Give people some time to forget.”

Joshua stuck his hands in his pockets. “What if I were to go with you? Would you let me?”

Luke gave Joshua an easy smile. “Sure, I would. But you’d be coming for the wrong reasons.” Luke gave Joshua a gentle pat over his heart. “You’ll know in here when the time is right.”

Joshua knew he was right and he picked up the duffel bag, handing it to his friend. Luke slung it over his shoulder, and they walked together down the pats toward town. They walked together down the path towards town. When they arrived at the dock, Jason and Jeremy were waiting.

Luke walked over to Jeremy. “You get a ring on that girl, Jeremy, or I’ll come back and do it myself.”

Jeremy laughed. “I’ll be sure and do that.”

Luke gave Jeremy a firm handshake, then went to Jason. “I never did tell you thanks for saving my life.”

“Luke, I can’t tell you how happy I was to be wrong about you.”

“Do me a favor.”

“What’s that?”

“Take care of Joshua. He’s real special.”

Jason’s warm chuckle made Luke smile. “I’m glad he has a friend like you. You’ll always have a home here whenever you want.”

Luke turned to Joshua who was waiting patiently. “I guess I better get on board.”

“You’ll write.”

Luke nodded. “I sure will. I want to hear about all those big dreams of yours.”

“I want to hear about your travels.” Luke started towards the ship and Joshua stopped him with a hand to his shoulder. “Lucky, tell me you’ll come back and I’ll believe you.”

Luke set the duffel bag down and faced Joshua. “I’ll be back, Josh. Never had a friend like you before and I know I never will again. Trust me.”

Joshua quickly blinked his eyes, forcing the tears back. “Always will,” Joshua whispered.

Joshua and Luke hugged each other. Joshua watched his friend grab the duffel bag and step onto the ship. Joshua stood on the dock as the ship pulled away. He spent a few minutes watching it, then he turned around and saw his brothers waiting for him.

Jason and Jeremy put their arms around Joshua and led him home.


End file.
